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Newscasts

PNS Daily Newscast - February 22, 2018

President Trump holds a listening session at the White House as the demand for action to curb gun violence spreads across the nation; also on today's rundown; an Arizona ballot initiative would require 50 percent renewable energy by the year 2030; and a new report find local democracy is being "run-over" by Lyft and Uber.

Daily Newscasts

Health Care Group Slams Trump's "Skinny" Insurance Plans

Utah Gets Failing Grade for Reproductive Health Care

Prison Birth Sparks Calls for CT Legislation

Idaho Bill Would Prevent Domestic Abusers From Having Guns

Health Care Group Slams Trump's "Skinny" Insurance Plans

Project Uses "Prescriptive Power" of Doctors to Promote Good Nutrition

Report Contradicts Cycling Health Risks Cited in Previous Study

There are plenty of venues for cycling available around Montana, including Glacier National Park, above. (Jacob W. Frank/National Parks Service)

May 19, 2017

HELENA, Mont. – This time of year, cycling is many people's choice to get some exercise and enjoy the outdoors.

But a study by Yale researchers in 2006 linked cycling to problems with sexual health and urinary dysfunction. Now, a new team of scientists disputes those results.

New research says the Yale study was small and focused mostly on extreme athletes, not those who bike for exercise, leisure or to commute.

Dr. Mohannad Awad, resident physician at the University of California-San Francisco and a member of the American Urological Association, authored the new study.

"Surprisingly, the results were completely contradictory to the previous results," he said. "We found that cyclists have no worse sexual or urinary functions compared to other, non-cyclist athletes."

There are many bicycling-related events happening in communities around the state, and a guide to Montana's biking trails is available online.

Awad says previous studies raised questions about the risks associated with prolonged perineal pressure in men and women who bike regularly. They linked this pressure to numbness, pain and erectile dysfunction in men, and suggested cycling also may be a hazard to women's sexual health.

But Awad says this new research focused on the average weekend cyclist, rather than athletes who ride for very long distances.

"When the previous studies have been done in the past, the cycling community just got worried," he adds. "And a lot of people might have just stopped cycling for a long time. So, we just wanted to reach out to all the cyclists, all over the world, and let them know the results."

Awad says riding a bike is one of the healthiest forms of exercise, so he advises everyone to strap on a helmet and enjoy the ride.